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Chess
Chess
CONTENTS
1 Kings and Queens
2 The Rooks
3 The Bishops
4 The Pawns
5 The Knights
6 How to Play
1 INTRODUCTION
Chess is a game of war. You have pieces that include a King, a Queen, and Knights on
horses. Each piece moves in its own special way. You capture your enemy's pieces to
weaken his or her defences. Your aim is to attack your enemy's King so that it cannot escape.
Chess started in India in the fifth century and it is now played all over the world. There are
club, county, country and world competitions to find champion chess players.
An ability to play chess is highly rated by university admissions tutors because successful
chess players can concentrate, think logically and solve problems.
THE BOARD
The two players face each other on opposite sides of the board.
2
THE QUEEN
The Queen is the second tallest piece in your chess set. We use a pointed crown to represent
a Queen.
Rule The Queen starts on the centre of the back row on her own colour.
The two Queens start by facing each other. We always show white playing up the board.
3
Rule The Queen may move any number of squares in a straight line - provided there is no
other piece blocking her way. A Queen, like nearly all other pieces, cannot jump.
The Queen's moves.
4
THE KING
The King is the tallest piece in your chess set. It usually has a cross on it head. We use a
crown with a cross to represent a King.
Rule The King starts on the centre of the back row next to its Queen.
The King starts next to its Queen.
5
Rule The King moves just one square at a time in any direction.
The King's moves.
6
GAME ONE - A QUEEN AND TWO KINGS
Rule Toss a coin to decide who has White.
Set up the board with a White King, a White Queen and a Black King.
The starting position.
7
Check
Rule If you move your piece to directly attack your enemy's King you say Check.
Check.
The line of attack is from the White Queen diagonally to the Black King because the Queen
can move along this line to reach the King. The White Queen's player says Check.
8
Rule If your King is in check, you must, on your next move, get your King out of check.
Black moves his or her King out of check.
9
Check. Black's turn to move.
Check.
10
You can capture the enemy Queen to get out of check: just take the Queen off the board and
move your King onto the square where the enemy Queen was.
Black King captures White Queen.
11
Rule Kings cannot kiss each other. Two Kings can never be placed side by side.
Kings cannot kiss.
This is the closest two Kings can get to each other. There must always be at least one square
between the two Kings.
12
Check. Black's turn to move.
Black King must move out of check.
The Black King cannot capture the White Queen because the Queen is protected by its King
and two Kings can never meet. The Black King has no choice but to move out of check.
13
Checkmate. Black King is in check and cannot get out of it.
Checkmate.
14
Black King cannot move here because it is still in check from the Queen.